Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Although I love Lore's ratings videos, I can't give this one any higher than a solid B. Points off for a needless tangent on "Begging the question" while failing to explain what the term actually means.

Still, the effort to be funny while covering logic earns a recommendation from me.

"Begging the question" means creating an argument which is partially based on the assumption of the thing you wish to prove. For example, "You know that I am telling you the truth, because I wouldn't lie to you."

It is often misused, but not necessarily in the way that Lore suggested. Instead, people say "begging the question" when they mean "raising the question." As in:

"Sir, it appears that the aliens do not eat food.""Interesting... but it begs the question: how do they get their energy?"

No, it doesn't. It RAISES the question. Begging the question would be more like this:

"Sir, it appears that the aliens do not eat food.""I thought we had reports saying that the aliens absorbing brown rectangular objects. Aren't those food?""No sir, they can't be.""Why not?"Because we know that the aliens don't eat food!"

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PLEASE NOTE: The Atheist Experience has moved to a new location, and this blog is now closed to comments. To participate in future discussions, please visit http://www.freethoughtblogs.com/axp.The Atheist Experience is a weekly live call-in television show sponsored by the Atheist Community of Austin. This independently-run blog (not sponsored by the ACA) features contributions from current and former hosts and co-hosts of the show.